ROMNEY: DON’T PRETEND IT’S MARRIAGE

By Nancy French 19 Oct 2006

Hat tip to Daniel, a transcript from CNN’s Situation Room. I’m excerpting the discussion about gay “marriage” and adoption:

BLITZER: Here is a sensitive issue that has come up, because you raised it the other night, gay marriage.
ROMNEY: Yes.
BLITZER: Here is what you said: “Here in Massachusetts, activist judges struck a blow to the foundation of civilization, the family. They ruled that our Constitution requires same-sex marriage. Unless we adopt a federal amendment to protect marriage, what is happening here will unquestionably enter every other state.”
ROMNEY: Yes.
BLITZER: This pits you at odds with a lot of people out there, including the daughter of the vice president, Dick Cheney, Mary Cheney, who was here in THE SITUATION ROOM not that long ago.
Listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY CHENEY, DAUGHTER OF VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY: Same-sex marriage is obviously an issue that we can disagree on, and that this country needs to debate. But the notion of amending the Constitution and writing — basically, writing discrimination into the Constitution of the United States is fundamentally wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right. You want to tell our viewers why you disagree with Mary Cheney?
ROMNEY: Well, because marriage is a fundamental institution in our society. It’s not primarily about adults. The challenge that people have who are staunch defenders of gay marriage focus on adult rights. But marriage is primarily not about adults, but about kids. A child and their development and nurturing is enhanced by access and by the nurturing of two parents of two different genders.
And, so, as we think about the development of children, and the future of our nation and its ability to raise a generation, we need to have homes where there are moms and dads. So, I favor traditional marriage, not out of any sense of discrimination.
BLITZER: Because?
ROMNEY: And I think we should show an outpouring of respect and tolerance for people of differences and people that make different choices.
BLITZER: But let me get this straight. Are you suggesting that children who have two fathers or two mothers, two gay men or two lesbian mothers, that those children are going to be growing up in some sort of weird environment? Is that what you’re saying…
ROMNEY: No. I’m…
BLITZER: … that this going to affect their ability to be normal kids?
ROMNEY: I’m saying that the ideal setting for raising a child is where there is a mother and a father.
Now, of course, we have a lot of homes where there is a single mom. And that’s not ideal, but, I mean, there are some — but there are some great families.
BLITZER: If there two loving — two loving parents who happen to be the same sex…
ROMNEY: There’s no — Wolf, there’s no question, but that having access to a mother and a father, people of both genders, is the ideal for the development of a child.
BLITZER: But what if there’s — what if there are two loving parents who are of the same sex? Can’t they raise a kid…
ROMNEY: Oh, sure.
BLITZER: … and make sure that that kid turns out to be a great kid?
ROMNEY: Sure, they can. And there will be circumstances of that happening.
But, overall, in a society, again, the right setting — the ideal setting for raising a child is where they have access to a mom and a dad.
BLITZER: Should lesbians or gay men who are same-sex partners, should they be able — should they be able to adopt children?
ROMNEY: Well, that’s a state-by-state issue.
BLITZER: What do you…
ROMNEY: What I — but my view is that we should have a constitutional amendment that says that marriage is defined as a relationship between a man and a woman.
And the reason it’s so important to do at a federal level — and I know some people say they are against gay marriage, but let the states decide. Well, if one state decides that they are going to have gay marriage, and they marry people from all over the country, then, every state ends up with gay marriage, because people move around this country.
And, ultimately, the Supreme Court may well say that, under the full faith and credit clause, if you’re married in one state…
BLITZER: But…
ROMNEY: … you’re married in the other.
BLITZER: Well, let’s get back to adoption for a second.
ROMNEY: Yes. Yes.
BLITZER: Should — do you believe that gays and lesbians should be able to adopt children?
ROMNEY: Well, they are able to adopt children.
BLITZER: But do you think that’s good?
ROMNEY: And I’m not going to change that.
BLITZER: Is that good?
ROMNEY: I’m not going to change that.
What I am saying is that marriage…
BLITZER: Well, what’s the difference…
ROMNEY: What I mean to say is that…
BLITZER: What’s the difference between children who are…
ROMNEY: Well, I will — OK, let me…
BLITZER: … adopted or children…
ROMNEY: I will give you an example.
BLITZER: … who are born… ROMNEY: Once a court, as it is in Massachusetts, says that we’re indifferent between same-sex marriage and traditional marriage, then, what you have on the — in our schools is a desire to avoid what they call heterocentricity.
So, we have kids in a second-grade class in Massachusetts being taught from a book called “The King and the King,” where a prince doesn’t find a princess to marry, but another prince. And they become the kings.
We begin to say that we’re indifferent between a marriage between a man and a woman and two men or two women. And we’re not indifferent as a society. Fundamentally, as a society, overall, we want homes with moms and dads.
Now, if individuals want to do — take a different course and enter into contracts with one another that are between same-sex individuals, they’re free to do so. But marriage, as a term and as an institution, should be associated with men and women.
BLITZER: You know, Mary Cheney, when she was here — and she is a lesbian…
ROMNEY: Yes.
BLITZER: … she said that you — she didn’t know what your position was, but those who support what you — you want a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage — are on the wrong side of history, sort of like the old laws that would prevent African-Americans from marrying white people.
ROMNEY: I’m afraid that’s not quite a good comparison.
It’s not the wrong side of history, because, actually, in the whole history of the world, from the very beginning of recorded history, marriage has always meant a relationship between a man and a woman.
Look, if two people of the same gender want to live together and enter into a contract with each other, so be it. But don’t pretend that it’s marriage. And society, as a whole, will benefit by having its children, on the average, raised by moms and dads.

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